PIEZOELECTRIC MICROMECHANICAL ENERGY HARVESTERS
First Claim
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1. A micromechanical device, comprising:
- an energy harvester comprising;
a proof mass that receives ambient mechanical energy at a first frequency in a first plane;
a transducer comprising piezoelectric material; and
a transfer mechanism that transfers the received ambient mechanical energy to the transducer, causing the transducer to vibrate at its resonance frequency to create an electrical output energy at the resonance frequency to upconvert the frequency of the ambient mechanical energy to harvest energy.
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Abstract
The present invention comprises systems, apparatuses, and methods for harvesting ambient mechanical energy at a lower frequency and transforming the harvested energy into electrical energy at a higher frequency. Transforming the energy from relatively lower input frequency energy to relatively higher output frequency energy can help realize greater efficiencies found at higher frequencies. Because the input plane of the ambient mechanical energy is not always predictable, some embodiments of the present invention comprise both in-plane and out-of-plane energy harvesters that produce an electrical output in multiple planes.
23 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A micromechanical device, comprising:
an energy harvester comprising; a proof mass that receives ambient mechanical energy at a first frequency in a first plane; a transducer comprising piezoelectric material; and a transfer mechanism that transfers the received ambient mechanical energy to the transducer, causing the transducer to vibrate at its resonance frequency to create an electrical output energy at the resonance frequency to upconvert the frequency of the ambient mechanical energy to harvest energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An electrical energy generation device, comprising:
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a mechanical energy harvester; and an electrical system connected to the mechanical energy harvester to receive electrical energy from the mechanical energy harvester, wherein the mechanical energy harvester comprises; a proof mass that receives ambient mechanical energy at a first frequency in a first plane; a transducer comprising piezoelectric material; and a transfer mechanism that transfers the received ambient mechanical energy to the transducer, causing the transducer to vibrate at its resonance frequency to create an output voltage at the resonance frequency to upconvert the ambient mechanical energy. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for harvesting ambient mechanical energy, the method comprising:
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vibrating a proof mass at a first frequency in a first plane upon receipt of the ambient mechanical energy at the proof mass; providing a transducer comprising piezoelectric material; and transferring the received ambient mechanical energy to the transducer, causing the transducer to vibrate at its resonance frequency to create an electrical output energy at the resonance frequency.
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42. A method of manufacturing a micromechanical energy harvester, comprising:
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providing substrate with a deposition layer on the topside of the substrate comprising aluminum nitride between a bottom molybdenum layer and a top molybdenum layer; etching a first portion of a harvester pattern into the top molybdenum layer; depositing silicon dioxide on the backside of the substrate; etching a second portion of the harvester portion into the silicon dioxide deposited on the backside of the substrate; reducing silicon dioxide deposited on the backside of the substrate; exposing a bottom electrode on the topside of the substrate; etching trenches into the topside of the substrate to define a plurality of features of the harvester; and etching the backside of the substrate to release a proof mass from the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification